Liquid dispensing devices



IApril 8, 1958 P. A. lsoDKlNl 2,829,808

LIQUxD DISPENSING DEVICES Filed June 25, 1956 Patented Apr. 8, 1958LIQUlD DISPENSING DEVICES Philip A. Baskin, Newark, N. J.

Application June 25, 1956, Serial No. 593,406

4 Claims. (Cl. 222-421) My invention relates to devices for dispensingliquid from a container, for example from a bottle, and one of itsobjects is to control the ow or liquid so that the dispensed quantitycan be easily and accurately measured.

Otherobjects are to dispense the liquid in the form of single drops, toprevent the liquid from dripping down the outside of the container or ofthe bottle neck, and thereby to avoid waste of liquid and to keepcontainer and hand clean.

Further objects are to suck the liquid back from the outlet into thecontainer immediately when the container is turned from its droppingposition, thereby to reduce the possibility of unintentional orexcessive outow, and to guide any liquid that still may ow out when thecontainer is turned from its dispensing position back into thecontainer.

Still other objects are to equalize the air pressure inside and outsideof the container, thereby to avoid obstruction of the flow by outer airpressure, and to adjust the device to various atmospheric conditions andto any desired dispensing speed or any desired time interval betweenindividual drops.

Still further objects are to attain the mentioned re sults with simpleand reliable means, and with means that can be easily and inexpensivelymade, and that can easily be attached to a bottle of standard structure.

Still other objects and advantages will appear from the followingdescription of exemplifying embodiments of my invention, from theappended claims and from the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l shows a side view of an illustrative embodiment of my invention,attached to a bottle, the bottle and its cap being representedsectionally.

Fig. 2 shows a cross-section of the same embodiment without the bottle,this cross-section being taken along the line 2-2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows a top view of the same embodiment.

Fig. 4 shows a bottom view of the same embodiment.

Fig. 5 shows a side view of another illustrative embodiment.

Fig. 6 shows a top view of the latter embodiment.

Fig. 7 shows a bottom View of the latter embodiment.

Fig. 8 shows a cross-section taken along the line 8-8 in Fig; 5.

The embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 4 comprises a plug 1 having acylindric wall 3 surrounding a cavity 4. The wall 3 tits the neck of abottle 5 which may be, for example, a medicine bottle of standardstructure. When the plug 1 is inserted in the bottle 5, the upper sideof the plug faces the outer space and the opposite lower side the insideof the bottle. The outer plug side is provided with a flange 6 overlyingthe bottle neck. The cavity 4 extends from this outer side toward thebottom 7 of the plug which is positioned at the inner plug side.

A pipe 9 passes rotatably and slidably through a corresponding bore ofthe bottom 7 which may have a tubular projection 11 surrounding thepipe. An annular disk 12 is permanently connected with the pipe 9 andunderlies the bottom 7 which may have a shallow recess into which thedisk 12 enters when the pipe is in its most outward position shown inFig. 2 Preferably, the disk 12 and the pipe 9 are made as one piece.

The bottom 7 has an opening 13 extending from the cavity 4 andpreferably forming a narrow slot extending alone along an arc about therotary axis of the pipe. The disk 12 has a similar opening 14. Theopenings 13 and 14 have the same radial distance from the pipe axiswhereby rotation of the pipe can move these openings into more or lessoverlapping positions. In order to facilitate the adjustment of themutual position of these openings, markers may be provided at thevisible outer end of the device. For example, an arrow 15 on the ilange6 indicates the position of the opening 13, and an arrow 16 on top ofthe pipe indicates the position of the opening 14. The openings coincidewhen the arrows 15 and 16 point toward each other.

The top end 17 of the pipe is broader than the diameter of the otherpart of the pipe whereby the pipe has a shoulder 1S. The pipe end 17 maybe made as a separate piece and may be ailxed permanently to the mainpart of the pipe in 'any known and suitable manner after the latter parthas been inserted in the bottom 7.

A spring 19 is positioned between the bottom 7 or its projection 11 andthe pipe top 17 or its shoulder 18 and urges the pipe into its mostoutward position. The spring 19 is preferably coiled about the pipe 9and positioned before the top 17 is afxed.

The pipe channel 21 extends from the inner side of the disk 12 in axialdirection of the ,pipev through the bottom 7 and farther outward intothe top piece 17. Here, .the channel is bent rectangularly andterminates in a lateral exit 22 positioned over the cavity 4.

When the bottle 5 is closed by the described device, the narrow channel21 may not be sufficient for equalizing the inner and outer airpressure, especially if some liquid stays in this channel. In order toobtain perfect adjustment of the pressure in the bottle to the presentatmospheric pressure, the pipe 9 is pressed inward against the tensionof the spring 19. Thereby, the disk 12 is separated from the bottom 7and opens the slot 13 so that the inner bottle space communicates withthe outer space through opening 13 and cavity 4, whatever the mutualangular position of the openings 13 and 14 may be. The depression of thepipe may be done by hand. But this is not necessary if the bottle isclosed during the non-use periods with a bottle cap 23 which is screwedon the bottle neck in usual manner and presses the pipe top 17 inward asshown in Fig. l.

For dispensing liquid, the cap 23 is removed whereupon the pipe 9immediately assumes the position shown in Fig. 2 in which the disk 12contacts the bottom 7. The bottle is tilted to the side of the pipe exit22 and is turned relatively to the pipe until the openings 13 and 14overlap sufticiently to let as much air into the bottle as is necessaryto secure the desired velocity of liquid outflow. A little overlapping,indicated; by a relatively large angle between the arrows 15 and 16,results in a slow sequence of drops emerging from the exit 22. Moreoverlapping results in a quicker sequence or even in a continuous flowof liquid.

The speed of outflow depends also on the nature of the dispensed liquid,a watery liquid flowing more readily then an oily or more viscousliquid. The descirbed adjustment of the openings 13 and 14 makes itpossible to adjust the device to various liquids and to variousatmospheric conditions.

The embodiment shown in Figs. 5 to 8 is a simplified modication of thefirst described embodiment and may be used in connection with acontainer or bottle similar a plug 24 and a pipe 25 which may be made asone piece. The plug 24 has a cavity 26 extending from the outer plugside toward the plug bottom 27 This bottom has a narrow opening 28connecting the cavity 26 with the inner bottle space. The opening 28 mayform a rectangularly'bent channel.

The pipe 25 rises from the bottom 27 outward beyond the plug 24, issurrounded by the cavity 26 and terminates in a top piece 29. This toppiece may be permanently aixed to the remaining pipe or may form anintegral part-of the pipe. The pipe channel 31 extends from the innerside of the bottom into the top piece 29 and terminates preferably in arectangular-ly bent arm leading to an exit 32 positioned over the cavity26.

This simplified modification is still less expensive, but has not theadvantages of an adjustable bottom opening. Instead, the opening 28 isgauged to iit therequirement of a liquid of definite viscosity.Bothembodiments have the advantage that drops will not run down theoutside of the bottle neck as it often occurs when liquid is dispensedfrom ordinary bottles.

When a device according to this invention is used, any drops that mayrun from the exit of the pipe after the intentional dispension isfinished will enter the cavity surrounding the pipe and will eventuallyreturn to the interior of the bottle through the bottom opening of theplug. Hence this opening serves for three purposes, for measuredentrance of air during the dispension, for equalization of inner andouter air pressure and for the return of excessive outow.

The interception of drops by the cavity is especially important if thepipe channel is completely straight. In the preferred embodiments shownand described, this channel is bent near the exit. I have found byexperiments that such a channel is less apt to let a drop hanging on theexit run down on the outside of the pipe because, in this case, theliquid in the channel exerts a strong suction immediately when thebottle is returned from the tilted dispensing position so that a justemerging drop is sucked back into the interior.

I have further found that this suction and also the dispensing operationis improved if the pipe or the entire device is made of thermo-plasticpolyethylene because this A material is not adhesive to liquids and,hence, lets the liquid flow freely in either direction. But I do notexclude the use of other transparent or opaque, plastic or otherwiseshapable materials.

I desire it understood that my invention is not coniined to theparticular embodiments shown and described, the same being merelyillustrative, and that my invention may be carried out in other wayswithin the scope of the appended claims without departing from thespirit of my invention as it is obvious that the particular embodimentsshown and described are only a few of the many that may be employed toattain the objects of my invention.

Having described the nature ot' my invention, what I claim and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. For insertion in the outlet of a container, a liquid- CFI (Sil

dispensing device comprising a plug having a lateral wall adapted forinsertion in said outlet and surrounding a cavity, said plug having, ininserted condition, an inner side and an opposite outer side, a bottomat said inner Side under said cavity, an open area at said outer sideover said cavity and a narrow opening extending from said cavity throughsaid bottom; and a pipe extending from said bottom beyond said outerside and being surrounded by said cavity and by said area, said devicehaving a channel extending through said bottom and said pipe.

2. For insertion in the outlet of a container, a liquiddispensing devicecomprising a plug having, in inserted condition, an inner side and anopposite outer side, having a cavity extending from said outer side, abottom at said inner side and a narrow opening extending from saidcavity through said bottom; a pipe passing rotatably through saidbottom, extending therefrom beyond said outer side and being surroundedby said cavity; and a disk connected with said pipe, underlying saidbottom and said bottom opening and having a similar opening, said twoopenings having the same radial distance from the rotary axis of saidpipe.

3. For insertion in the outlet of a container, a liquiddispensing devicecomprising a plug having, in inserted condition, an inner side and anopposite outer side, having a cavity extending from said outer side, abottom at said inner side and a narrow opening extending from saidcavity through said bottom; a pipe passing rotatably through saidbottom, extending therefrom beyond said outer side and being surroundedby said cavity; and a disk connected with said pipe, underlying saidbottom and said bottom opening and having a similar opening, said twoopenings forming arc-shaped slots and having the same radial distancefrom the rotary axis of said pipe.

4, For insertion in the outlet of a container, a liquiddispensing devicecomprising a plug having, in inserted condition, an inner side and anopposite outer side, having a cavity extending from said outer side, abottom at said inner side and a narrow opening extending from saidcavity through said bottom; a pipe passing slidably and rotatablythrough said bottom, extending therefrom beyond said outer side, beingsurrounded by said cavity and having a broadened outer end; a springpositioned between said broadened end and said bottom and urging saidpipe outward; and a disk connected with said pipe, underlying saidbottom and said bottom opening and having a similar opening, said twoopenings having the same radial distance from the rotary axis of saidpipe.

References Cited in the le of this patent Y UNITED STATES PATENTS755,549

